Towing puts you at greater risk, so tow wiser

Drivers pulling caravans, horse floats, boats and other trailers are encouraged to tow wiser this summer. Here’s a line-up of five simple tips for safer towing in an attempt to reduce incidents, injuries and unnecessary breakdown call-outs.

All drivers with full licences are entitled to tow trailers, caravans and horse floats. There’s no requirement for an additional test. However, inexperienced drivers should build confidence by booking onto a towing course where they will learn the basics of safe hitching and reversing. These courses are available from caravanning organisations and driver training schools across the country. It’s also a good idea to practice basic manoeuvres away from the public road.

seniordriveraus wants everyone to be safe on our roads. Whether you’re towing for the first time or the hundredth, you need to put safety first on every journey.

For example, do we know what to expect if we encounter strong crosswinds? Or how to deal with an unstable caravan that starts snaking behind the vehicle?

As many owners of trailers and caravans tend to use them infrequently, it’s important to ensure the trailer is in a fit state for the road, as well as checking load distribution, lights, tyres, brakes and couplings.

Here are some tips for safer towing:

W is for weight

Check the ‘Gross Vehicle Weight’ (this is the weight of your fully-loaded car plus a fully-loaded trailer). It’s an offence to drive your car if you’ve exceeded this weight. Make allowances for limited acceleration and longer stopping distances. With a loaded trailer you may not stop as quickly as you are used to, so leave plenty of space.

I is for insurance

Most car insurance policies cover you for towing a caravan or trailer. However, this will usually only be third party, meaning for example that if your caravan became detached from the car you would be covered for injury to other people or damage to their property, but your own caravan would not be covered. Do also ensure you have appropriate breakdown cover. Most recovery companies won’t cover a trailer unless it is specified in your contract.

S is for speed

Speed limits for vehicles towing trailers are lower than you might be used to if you’re not towing, and even if you are allowed to travel at high speeds, it may be safer to travel a little slower. There are other rules when towing, so check you’re aware of them.

E is for engine

Consider whether your car is powerful enough to be towing your trailer. A good rule of thumb is to check the maximum mass of the trailer. If it’s 85 percent or less than the total kerb weight of the car, then towing should be fine.

R is for reversing

The best advice is slow and steady. The slower you do it, the less likely you are to get into trouble. Find a big empty field or car park so you can quietly practice and make your own mistakes. To steer the trailer, remember that you need to move the wheel in the opposite direction to that if you were reversing the car with no trailer. This can be really tricky, but practice makes perfect – the more you do it the more natural it becomes.

Do you tow things behind your vehicle often? How good would you say you are at it? Let us know in the comments section below.

Also read: Even good drivers make mistakes